This story shares Trung Nguyen's personal journey of discovering the power of the natural breath through meditation. Starting with the realization of its elusive nature during a sleep-focused Yoga Nidra session, the author dives into the struggles and breakthroughs of a 10-day Vipassana retreat. Through challenges with frustration and control, they learn to let go, ultimately finding profound gratitude for the body's natural processes. The story reveals how mindfulness and observation of the breath can transform it from an overlooked necessity into a grounding and life-affirming practice. Perfect for anyone curious about deepening their meditation or finding peace in simplicity.

AI created podcast episode on the topic of Universal Teaching.

Taking on a 30-day meditation challenge can be a transformative experience. For me, it was a game-changer in building consistency and focus. Here’s what I learned and why I think it’s worth giving a try.

1. Building Consistency Without Rigidity

The challenge helped me meditate every single day—sometimes even twice a day. What made this work was a flexible approach. Instead of sticking to a strict schedule, I meditated when it felt natural and intuitive. This flexibility made the practice feel less forced and more intentional. I was constantly mindful of ensuring I didn’t miss a day, while also making time to share my journey on social media.

2. Adding Accountability Through Social Media

Surprisingly, sharing my meditations on social media enhanced the experience. It acted like a daily "check-in" and kept me accountable, much like crossing off a calendar. While it required extra effort to think of meaningful "quotes of the day" and refine my posts, I learned new skills in creating purposeful content. This added layer of accountability made the challenge more engaging and fulfilling.

3. Pushing Through Resistance

There were days when I felt unmotivated or too tired to meditate, but I committed to the challenge anyway. Even on tough days—when my head bobbed with sleepiness—I stayed true to my intention. This taught me discipline and built tolerance and patience. I learned not to let temporary feelings or poor choices derail my commitment. In doing so, I started respecting my efforts and myself on a deeper level.

4. Accepting Imperfection and Practicing Resilience

Even when my meditations didn’t go as planned—whether due to drowsiness or distractions—I kept returning to the practice. That in itself was the meditation: recognizing when my mind wandered or my body felt heavy and choosing to refocus to the meditation anchor. I began to see these moments not as failures, but as opportunities to build resilience. For instance, when thoughts like, "Is the meditation almost over?" arose, I learned to gently return my focus instead of letting impatience take over.

5. Improved Awareness and a Shift in Mindset

Over the 30 days, my awareness noticeably improved. Consistent practice helped me recognize and overcome moments of aversion, like restlessness or frustration. This experience also inspired me to consider taking on a physical health challenge, knowing how effective challenges can be when approached with clear intentions and realistic expectations. I now see challenges as opportunities to grow, rather than chores to complete.

6. Lessons Learned: Challenges Are Worth It

One of the most valuable takeaways was the realization that trying something new and stepping into discomfort can lead to amazing growth. If you've tried challenges in the past and felt they didn’t work, I encourage you to try again. The key is setting realistic intentions and understanding why you’re committing to the change.

We’re often capable of much more than we think. This meditation challenge was a reminder that with clarity, flexibility, and persistence, any challenge will bring personal growth.

Ready to start your own challenge? Remember to keep your intentions clear and your expectations realistic. You might just surprise yourself.

I started Mindful and Humble because these two words kept popping up throughout my spiritual journey. It wasn’t until later that I realized how naturally they balanced each other out by grounding me whenever I found myself too self-aware and critical of myself. To me, they represent a “yin and yang” dynamic — opposing forces that are deeply interconnected and mutually supportive. Let me explain more. As I practiced mindfulness more consistently and deepened my awareness of the present moment, I began to see the world with greater clarity — free from the biases and conditioning of my mind. Through this undistorted perspective, my own flaws and imperfections become undeniably clear. Witnessing these truths repeatedly felt frustrating, even to the point of catharsis, as if no progress was being made. Yet, in reality, growth was happening. Thanks to embracing humility and acknowledging my imperfections and the limits of my humanity opened the door to honesty and self-compassion. With this newfound clarity about my imperfections and harmful reactions, it opened the door for me to keep learning and deepening my mindfulness practice, recognizing that I still have a long way to go to become a better version of myself. As I understand and admit that I am only human, my ego is slowly getting deflated. I judge myself and others less, because I have less need to attach myself to being right or better or to always be a particular way. This is freeing as I no longer need to prove, protect or defend myself. By accepting and acknowledging that I am a work in progress, my ego has begun to loosen its grip. I judge myself and others less because I no longer feel the need to be right, superior, or conform to a specific image. This shift has been liberating — I no longer feel compelled to prove, protect, or defend myself. Well…sometimes. This humility nurtures compassion and presents itself in a gentle way towards myself and everyone else. No one is perfect, and that understanding softens my perspective. Gradually, I’m finding a greater sense of balance through the interplay of mindful and humble. This balance helps me remain present in the natural ebb and flow of life, experiencing moments as they arise and pass without the need to control or manipulate them. And so, Mindful and Humble became more than just words — they became guiding principles for how I approach life. They remind me to stay grounded in the present, embrace my imperfections with grace, and extend compassion to myself and others. This journey of balancing mindfulness with humility is ongoing, a continuous practice of letting go and surrender. Through this balance, I’ve come to understand that growth isn’t about perfection but about progression. It’s about showing up each day with curiosity, honesty, and a willingness to learn. Mindful and Humble is not just a reflection of where I’ve been but a compass pointing to where I strive to go — a life lived with greater clarity, compassion, and connection.

You may have heard of the term spiritual bypassing. I like to think of it as a coping mechanism with the aid of one's spiritual practices. According to Wikipedia: Spiritual bypass or spiritual bypassing is a “tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks”. When spiritual bypassing or redirecting emotions, the action can seem extremely helpful due to their “positive” effects and results at that given moment. Because of these preferred outcomes, one doesn’t realize that they are possibly still running away from their problems. It is similar to giving medicine to alleviate the symptoms, but never changing the root cause of the disease. In mindfulness practice, this bypassing can show up in many different ways. I keep going back to using meditation to get myself into a calm and relaxed state that feels very safe and void of my life problems. It usually shows up when I am trying to avoid a negative situation or feeling and using meditation to escape into a safe space. This medicine isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If I can channel it as a tool to feel better so that I can tackle the root cause of the disease, then it would be a healthy relationship for my growth. If I am using it in a reactive way to feel better and continue that pattern without awareness, then it has become an addiction or just another conditioned habit that is not mindful. This small difference of awareness is crucial to understand spiritual bypassing. To be mindful and not develop spiritual bypassing, I personally start out my meditation practice by checking in with myself and asking the question, Why am I practicing meditation right now? and What are my intentions to meditate? If these answers reflect a way of coping or avoidance because I am stressed or not feeling well, then I can take a step back to reaffirm my intentions. I come back to understanding that the act of meditation isn’t a time to feel good or heal myself (or anything in particular). Knowing that there shouldn’t be any expectations during meditation is crucial. I need to be clear that this practice serves to strengthen the self-awareness of the present moment by continually coming back to the object of meditation (i.e. your breath). That is it. The rest will happen naturally and organically. There is no need to desire a positive outcome during or after practicing mindfulness. The act of making the time to be with oneself is already the positive action and outcome of self-love.

I am sure you have heard of all sorts of challenges ranging from cold-water plunges to physical health transformations to extreme diets. Some seem fun and others quite brutal, but the results can provide the participants a way to witness that they are capable of change. The tricky part is finishing the challenge and being conscious of the mental and physical changes / benefits that emerge from consistency. Personally, a 30 Day Challenge for me is a tool to help me be more committed. It’s a way to hold myself accountable and focused. It provides me with an intentional way to be strict and at the same time compassionate with myself. I am on the journey of becoming my own Master and this is my aid to be more mindful at all times. “Rule your mind or it will rule you.” — Buddha My 30 Day Challenge consists of just practicing meditation every day and posting it on my social media platforms. This is not my first rodeo of meditating for 30 days consecutively, but it is the first time I am being extra intentional about it. I am on Day 3 right now and I already noticed that daily meditations feel less mechanical than before. The part about recording myself and posting it online adds another layer of experience for me to observe. Sleep is also something I pay attention to because I believe, by taking meditation more seriously, it will help this substantial portion of my day. I will continue to be present with myself for the remainder of the challenge. When the challenge is finished, I will take some time to process and put together part 2 of this article. For now, I invite you to challenge yourself for 30 days on your own mindfulness practice and come follow my daily observations on Instagram @mindfulhumble. “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” — John C. Maxwell

AI created podcast episode on the topic of Mindfulness and Mental Health.

In Episode 7 of the "Mindful Humble" podcast, Trung Nguyen interviews Beth Stone about her experiences with Vipassana meditation. Beth, a seasoned yoga and meditation instructor, shares her journey to finally attending her first 10-day Vipassana retreat, a goal she pursued for over a decade. Beth opens up about the challenges she faced, such as her deep attachment to checking her emails and her inner dialogue about leaving the retreat. Despite her extensive experience with meditation and silent retreats, she was surprised by the profound internal challenges of the structured Vipassana environment. Beth describes her appreciation for "Noble Silence" at the retreat, which felt like a relief from her busy professional life, where she is constantly interacting with people. She also enjoyed the meditative walking trails, finding peace in simple routines. She reflects on the value of detachment, acknowledging how meditation helped her recognize and let go of expectations, a practice she continues to cultivate. The conversation also touches on the benefits of community support and using apps to maintain her meditation routine post-retreat. Beth shares insights on how Vipassana has grounded her and enhanced her ability to practice self-love, stillness, and self-awareness. Finally, she advises new Vipassana practitioners to approach the experience with openness, patience, and a willingness to embrace the discomfort and let go of expectations. If you'd like to share your story, please message or comment below! #vipassana #vipassanaexperience #vipassanameditation #mindfulness #meditation #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #behtstone